Report & Reaction: Hampshire Hawks Men v Notts Outlaws, Vitality Blast (Semi-Final)

Vitality Blast - Men: Hampshire Hawks (187/3) beat Notts Outlaws (160 all out) by 27 runs

By Brian Halford, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay

Hampshire Hawks will face Northamptonshire Steelbacks in tonight’s Vitality Blast final after beating Nottinghamshire Outlaws by 27 runs in the second semi-final at Edgbaston.

The Hawks reached their third final in five years after piling up 187 for three as Joe Weatherley struck his T20-best 88 not out (58 balls), supported by James Vince’s 59 (33).

The Outlaws’ reply was carried by Joe Clarke (64, 43) but after he perished in the 13^th over, the innings fell away to 160 all out from 19.5 overs against The Hawks’ experienced and disciplined attack. James Fuller took four for 26 and Chris Wood and Scott Currie added two wickets apiece.

The match was preceded by a minute’s applause for the great Sir Garfield Sobers, West Indies legend and former Nottinghamshire player, who passed away this week. What a T20 player, Sir Garry would have been!

Put in, the Hawks lost Toby Albert to the second ball when he edged a fine delivery from Mohammad Amir to wicketkeeper Tom Moores. They emphatically shrugged off the early blow, however, as Vince and Weatherley added 126 in 84 balls. Weatherley reached his 12^th T20 half-century from 34 balls, and Vince followed to his 88^th from 36 before lifting Benny Howell to long off.

Winchester-born Weatherley passed his previous T20-best of 71 with a towering straight six off Olly Stone, but the Outlaws dug in well to restrain the scoring as the innings lengthened. Just 11 runs came from the 15^th and 16^th overs from Howell and Amir. Tristan Stubbs reverse-swept Dillon Pennington to short third and, as the Outlaws’ attack fired in copious yorkers, there was no late charge. The Hawks’ total was strong but not as intimidating as appeared likely when Weatherley and Vince were in full flow.

The Outlaws’ reply took an early hit when George Munsey chipped Wood’s tenth ball to deep mid-wicket, but Clarke and Jack Haynes batted in composed fashion. They ensured their side still had nine wickets in hand to attack the chase for 110 from the last ten overs.

Clarke reached 50 from 35 balls and celebrated by hoisting Liam Dawson into the building site, but later in the over, the pair having added 85 from 56 balls, Haynes (25, 21) holed out to mid-on. When, four balls later, Clarke lifted Fuller to deep mid-wicket, two new batters were at the crease with a required rate of 12 per over.

The pressure told as those batters were forced to attack good balls. Moores pulled Fuller to long on, George Linde lifted Wood to long off and The Outlaws entered the last four overs needing 57 – and the last over requiring 34. Hampshire closed the game out solidly to advance to their second successive final, aiming to go one better than their runners-up spot last year.